Method of knitting



April 27, I 1 954 A. BOUTHILLETTE ETAL 2,676,474

METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Feb. 16, 1951 f/YVENTURS: Jfizv/waBaW/fizze'fle;

Patented Apr. 27, 1954 METHOD OF KNITTING Antonio Bouthillette and Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. I., assignors to Hemphill Company, Pawtucket, It. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 16, 1951, Serial No. 211,388

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the method of knitting hosiery or other fabrics which are composed in part at least of reciprocatorily knit patterned areas in the form of diamonds or other shapes each of which is knit of a different yarn than that of which contiguous patterned areas are knit and in which each patterned area is joined to contiguous areas by true sutures. Its object is to so anchor incoming and outgoing yarns at the top and bottom of each patterned areas that the ends of the yarn may be trimmed close to the inside of the stocking without the danger that they will pull out in whole or in part and thus create holes in the fabric.

The drawing illustrates a typical solid color diamond or argyle sock, the leg of which is ornamented by diamonds and half diamond patterns in the manner already described. Such a sock is knitted from top to toe and may be provided with any desired type of top I, that shown being an elastic top.

Ordinarily the completion of the top is followed by a few courses before the patterning is begun as shown at 2 in the drawing. Also, as a rule, a half diamond T is knitted of the same yarn as the section 2. It will be assumed that the yarn of which half diamond T is knit is tan in color. When the knitting of the diamond R is begun, a yarn for this purpose must be introduced. It will be assumed that this yarn is red in color. Normally it would be introduced at the apex 3 of the diamond R. However, if it is simply introduced at this point a comparatively long end of yarn will have to be left on the inside of the stocking or later the end may pull out leaving a hole. Such long ends are undesirable because they prohibit the use of mechanical clippers and must be hand trimmed which is a slow operation and also they are unsightly. By the method of this invention, this end of yarn is so fastened into the fabric that it can be clipped short without danger.

When the last course of the tan yarn preceding the beginning of the red diamond R is being knit, the red yarn also is knitted in a few wales directly above the apex of the diamond R. Thereafter, the knitting of the tan yarn is confined to the half diamond T and the knitting of the red yarn is confined to the diamond R except along the suture line where they are interlocked.

Diamond B, which will be assumed is colored brown, is knit in a manner similar to diamond R and the brown yarn is locked into the fabric in the same way by interknitting it in a few wales with the yarn, assumed to be tan also, which will knit the half diamond corresponding to half diamond T on the other side of the stocking. Diamond B is, of course, attached to half diamond T by a true suture.

When the end 4 of diamond T is reached, the usual procedure would be to remove the tan yarn and introduce the yarn for diamond BL, which it will be assumed is blue in color. Here also unless long yarn ends are left there is danger that a hole will later result. To avoid this by the method of this invention, the blue yarn is introduced and knitted into a few wales while say the next to the last course of half diamond T is being knit. The blue yarn is also knitted into the last course of half diamond T. Thereupon the tan yarn is removed and knitting of the diamond BL is continued with the blue yarn alone.

Other top and bottom corners of the diamonds, such as 5, 6 and i, are made secure by the method just described. However, the lowermost corners 8 and 9 of the last diamonds require a treatment similar to that required by the uppermost corners of diamonds R and B. In other words, when the last corner 8 of diamond G, assumed to be green in color, is reached, the yarn which is to continue the knitting of the sock is introduced and knit with the green yarn. Thereupon, the green yarn is withdrawn and knitting continued with the other yarn.

Similarly, with respect to diamond W, assumed to be white in color, the yarn which is to continue knitting the sock is introduced before the last course of diamond W is knit and is knitted together with the white yarn in this course after which the white yarn is withdrawn. The diamond corresponding with the blue diamond BL on the other side of the stocking is knitted as described above for the diamond BL.

In the above description, reference has been made to the last course and next to the last course in describing the method of fastening an incoming or outgoing yarn into the fabric. It should be understood that these words describe merely one manner of utilizing the method and that the number of courses and also the number of needles concerned may be varied as desired.

This method of knitting is of particular value when the reeiprocatorily knit patterned area of the stocking is knit of complete courses each of which is finished before the next is begun as described, for example, in U. S. Patents #2,217,022 and #2302211 but it is by no means limited thereto. Neither is the use of the method limited to diamond patterns of the type described since,

obviously, it can be employed to advantage in the making of various other patterns in which the same problem is encountered.

We claim:

1. A method of knitting in the reciprocatory mamier a fabric having patterned areas each of which is knit of a different yarn than yarn of which contiguous patterned areas are knit and in which each patterned area is joined to contiguous areas by true sutures which includes of knitting the yarn of which a patterned area is to be knit with the yarn of which the previous area is being" knit in a few wales of two or more courses immediately preceding the beginning of the patterned area.

2. A method of knitting in the reciprocatory manner a fabric having patterned areas each of which is knit of a different yarn than yarn of which contiguous patterned areas are knit and in which each patterned area is joined to contiguous areas by true sutures which includes knitting the yarn of which a patterned area is to be knit'with the yarn of which the previous area is being knit in a few wales of two or more courses immediately preceding the beginning of the patterned area and then ceasing to knit with the yarn of the previous area.

3. A method of tying-in the end of a pattern yarn in fabric knit on a circular, independent needle, knitting machine and having a patterned area knit with a pattern yarn alone and a corn tiguous body area or other patterned area knit with another yarn alone which comprises knitting said pattern yarn with said other yarn in some wales only of two or more courses-adjacent to the courses where said pattern yarn is knit alone. 7

4. A method of knitting on a circular, independent needle, knitting machine fabric having a first portion knit of a first yarn and a second portion knit of a second yarn which comprises knitting said first and second yarns together in a few wales of at least two consecutive courses before the course in which said second portion commences.

5. A method of knitting in the recip'rocatory manner a fabric having patterned areas each of which is joined to contiguous areas by true sutures comprising at least two successively knit areas each knit of a different yarn, wherein at least the latter part of the first of said areas to be knit is progressively narrowed until it is completed and the second of said areas is thereupon begun and is progressively widened during the knitting of at least the beginning thereof, and wherein the yarn of which the said second area is to be knit is introduced in at least the last two courses of the said first area and knit together with the yarn of'which the said first area is knit for at least a few 'wales in said courses of said first area, after'which the yarn of which the first said area is knit is discontinued.

6. A method ofsplicing a first yarn to a second yarn'in fabric knit on circular, independent needle, knitting machines which comprises knitting on'eor more courses of said first yarn alone, knitting both of said yarns in some wales only of two or more consecutive courses adjacent said previously knit courses, and then knitting with said second yarn alone in courses adjacent of said consecutive courses.

7. A method of knitting in the reciprocatory manner a fabric having a patterned area which is knit of a different yarn than the yarn of which a contiguous area is knit which includes knitting in a few wales of two or more courses said different-yarn with the yarn of which the contiguous area is knit and thereafter knitting said different yarn alone.

8. The invention according to claim 3 and wherein said pattern yarn and said other yarn are knit together in a reciprocatory manner in said wales of said two or more courses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 618,017 Swinglehurst Jan. 17, 1809 2,101,006 Lawson et a1 Nov. 3 1937 2,217,558 McAdams Oct. 8, 1940 2,283,995 Hutton et a1 May 26, 1942 2,349,357 Largman May 23, 1944 2,550,880 St. Pierre May 1, 1951 

